Shifters (play)
2024 play by Benedict Lombe
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Shifters is a 2024 play by Congolese-British playwright Benedict Lombe which follows the complications of a love story of a young Black couple, Dre and Des, reconnecting after years apart. The production premiered Off-West End in 2024 at Bush Theatre,[1] before transferring to the West End the same year at the Duke of York's Theatre.[2] It is set to premiere Off-Broadway in July 2026 at the Cherry Lane Theatre.[3]
| Shifters | |
|---|---|
2026 Off-Broadway production poster | |
| Original language | English |
| Written by | Benedict Lombe |
| Characters | Des Dre |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 23 February 2024 |
| Place | Bush Theatre |
Plot
The play follows the years-long love story between Dre, a working-class man, and Des, an artist who moved to the United States. The play flashes back to the two meeting in high school debate club and their budding romance before flashing to the present where the two reconnect at Dre's grandmother's funeral, bringing up sparks of the past and thoughts of the future.[4][5]
Production history
2024 Off-West End premiere
The play first premiered Off-West End at the Bush Theatre in London in 2024, running from 16 February to 30 March 2024.[6] Directed by Lynette Linton, the production starred Heather Agyepong as Des and Tosin Cole as Dre.[7][8] The Guardian praised the production, giving it four stars and lauding the show's "real heart, soul and the everyday tragedy of long-lost first loves."[9] Similarly, London Theatre praised the cast's performances as "simply irresistible" and the play's " fluid, dreamlike structure."[10]
2024 West End transfer
Following positive reception, the production was announced to transfer to the West End at the Duke of York's Theatre, running from 12 August to 12 October 2024. This made Lombe the third ever Black British woman to have a play staged in the West End.[11] Both Agyepong and Cole reprised their role, with Linton returning to direct.[12] The play again received positive reviews, with Salterton Arts Review calling the show "witty, real, and memorable"[13] and Forbes praised it as a "refreshing rollercoaster of a romance."[14] The production was nominated for two 2025 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Play and Best Actress for Heather Agyepong. For the former, Lombe became the first Black British woman to achieve this nomination.[15]
2026 Off-Broadway production
The play is set to make its North American premiere Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre in July 2026, directed by Linton and again starring Apyepong with Daniel Ezra taking over the role of Dre.[16] The production will run from 15 July through to 30 August 2026.[17][18]
Cast and characters
| Character | Off-West End 2024[19] | West End 2024[20] | Off-Broadway 2026[21] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des | Heather Agyepong | ||
| Dre | Tosin Cole | Daniel Ezra | |
Awards and nominations
2024 West End production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Play | Nominated | [22] | |
| Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress | Heather Agyepong | Nominated | |||
| The Offies | Creation | Benedict Lombe | Won | [23] | |
| The Stage Debut Awards | Best Creative West End Debut | Nominated | [24] | ||